RealTalk MS

In this episode of RealTalk MS, we're re-visiting my conversation with Dr. Bruce Bebo, the Executive Vice-President of Research at the National MS Society, about some of the most interesting research announcements made during the MSVirtual2020 conference. This is one of my favorite conversations of the entire year, and you've made it this year's most downloaded and listened to RealTalk MS episode....

It's safe to say that this year, the biggest gift of the holiday season has been the arrival of not one, but two COVID-19 vaccines. Still, while the COVID-19 vaccines have created a tremendous amount of hope, they've also created an equal number of questions among people who are living with MS.  So the National MS Society has convened a group of experts to provide guidance for people living with M...

Feeling some of the stress and anxiety that often come with the holiday season? Who could blame you? If the holidays aren't enough, this year, we're also going through what's looking like the worst part of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stress and anxiety aren't guaranteed, but they aren't exactly unexpected, either. My guest this week, Megan Weigel, is here to share some techniques and strategies that we...

Every day, 12 more Canadians are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Facing one of the highest MS rates in the world, spread across a geographically large country, the MS Society of Canada is the only national voluntary organization in Canada that supports cutting-edge MS research while providing services and support to more than 90,000 people living with MS.      Joining me as my guest is Dr. Pame...

MS-related pain is one of those invisible symptoms that can have a profound impact on your quality of life. So we're devoting this entire episode of RealTalk MS to taking a deep dive into assessing and managing MS-related pain with my guests, Dr. Dawn M. Ehde and Dr. Heidi Maloni. Both of my guests are experts at assessing, treating, and managing MS-related pain, but each approaches pain from a sl...

Joining me this week is Brett Drummond, a scientist in Australia who stepped away from his lab to develop an online resource designed to bridge the gap between the MS patient community and the MS research community. The result of his efforts is MSTranslate. We're talking about this excellent curated MS information resource, and Brett even shares some insights into the MS research that he finds par...

Today, remyelination holds real promise as a strategy for restoring lost function and slowing or even stopping MS progression.  This week, we're taking a deep dive into the current state of remyelination research.  Joining me are Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, the Hazel Prior Hostetler Professor of Neurology at the Cleveland Clinic and the director of the Cleveland Clinic's Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosi...

November 11 is Veterans Day in the United States, giving us an opportunity to honor the men and women who have served in America's armed forces. More than 70,000 U.S. veterans are living with MS, and joining me on the podcast is Karla Clay, an Air Force veteran, and a National Veterans Wheelchair Games multiple medal winner. We're talking about the life-changing turn that Karla's MS journey ended...

Fatigue is considered to be the most common MS symptom and also one of the most disabling because fatigue can interfere with every aspect of someone's life -- at home, at work, in their relationships -- in every way, fatigue can have a profound impact on your quality of life. We're talking about how to best manage MS-related fatigue with two experts on the subject, Dr. Bardia Nourbakhsh, and Dr. K...

Almost everything that we've learned about multiple sclerosis is the result of people with MS choosing to participate in clinical research. When it comes to MS and most every other chronic illness, clinical research is the common denominator of all medical progress.      This week, we're breaking down the details of MS clinical research with my guests, Dr. Sandi Cassard, a research associate in th...

MS doesn't only affect individuals. It affects families. And that's probably most clear when we're talking about pediatric MS. The National MS Society estimates that there are about 5,000 diagnosed cases of pediatric MS in the United States and less than 10,000 cases worldwide, but those numbers become far less important when your child is one of those diagnosed cases. We're taking a deep dive int...

The ECTRIMS (European Committee for Treatment & Research in MS) meeting is the largest MS research conference in the world. This year, of course, the ECTRIMS conference was virtual, and so was my conversation with Dr. Bruce Bebo, the Executive Vice President of Research at the National MS Society. Join us in this special episode of RealTalk MS as we take a deep dive into the research breakthroughs...

We're in the midst of the fall MS conference season, and while all the conferences are virtual, there's still lots of news to share. This week, we're talking with EJ Levy, the Founder and President of MS Hope for a Cure, about Big October 2020.      We're also talking about MS rehabilitation science with Dr. Kathy Zackowski, the Senior Director of Patient Management, Care, & Rehabilitation Researc...

A lot of us may have to think back to a time before the pandemic to remember what it felt like to get a good night's sleep. But if you're someone living with MS, you might have to think back even further. Research tells us that more than half the people living with MS report significant disruptions in their sleep and difficulty maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. And that can lead to addition...

Of all the people living with MS, you might assume that people living with progressive MS have experienced the highest levels of anxiety and depression related to the threat of COVID-19. A research team found themselves at the right place at the right time -- conducting a different progressive MS study. They quickly pivoted to investigate the emotional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people liv...

This past weekend, 8,000 MS research scientists and clinicians gathered virtually for the joint meeting of the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis and the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis. Known as ECTRIMS, this year's conference was appropriately re-branded as MSVirtual2020.   We're talking about great presentations on the MS prod...

You can't control the weather, but you can learn to dance in the rain. And developing resilience teaches you how to dance in the rain. My guest is Dr. Dawn Ehde, a clinical psychologist and professor of rehabilitation medicine at University of Washington Medicine. Dr. Ehde is an expert in understanding resilience, and she's joining us to explain why having resilience is central to improving the we...

Disease-modifying therapies are the cornerstone of any effective MS treatment plan. But with more than 20 approved prescription medications available today, the choices can seem overwhelming.   People living with MS have questions -- Do you start out with a safe but less effective medication, or do you hit MS hard with a high-efficacy drug that may carry more risks? When is the right time to consi...

One of the very few bright spots to emerge during the COVID-19 pandemic is the overall effectiveness and efficiency of telemedicine. And although people living with MS and their doctors have largely hailed telemedicine as a success, there are significant obstacles to overcome before it can become a permanent part of our healthcare system.     My guest is Mei Wa Kwong, the Executive Director of the...

Whether you call it brain fog, cog-fog, or you don't happen to have a name for it, cognitive dysfunction affects more than half of all the people with MS.   Joining me once again is Dr. Meghan Beier, a Rehabilitation Neuropsychologist and Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Beier specializes in cognitive rehabilitation and neuropsycholog...

Being a caregiver can be stressful in the best of circumstances. And life certainly doesn't get any easier or less burdensome for a family caregiver during a global pandemic. Research shows that COVID-19 is adding to the long list of things that caregivers worry about, adding a whole new layer of stress and anxiety to the situations they face every day.     My guest this week is MaryAnne Sterling....

One of the things that people affected by MS seem to worry about every year is the flu vaccine. And the question is always the same -- is it safe for someone with MS to get a flu shot?  This year, that question and its accompanying anxiety are compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. Is it safe for someone with MS to get a flu vaccination during the pandemic? Is it safe for someone with MS to get a CO...

MS patients experience better treatment outcomes when they actively participate in their own care. And that requires high health literacy. One of my guests is health literacy expert Dr. Kalina Sanders and we're talking about how being an informed patient can have a significant impact on the healthcare you receive.   A well-rounded MS treatment plan will include wellness practices like making smart...

Cognitive decline and depression are two of the more common invisible symptoms of multiple sclerosis, impacting at least half of all the people living with MS.    My guest is Dr. Meghan Beier, an Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and a Rehabilitation Neuropsychologist. Dr. Beier specializes in cognitive rehabilitation and neuropsychologica...

Pain and fatigue are two of the most common and challenging symptoms of MS. These are the symptoms that can stop you from fully engaging in your life at work, at home, with friends, or family.   My guest is Dr. Heidi Maloni. Dr. Maloni is a nurse practitioner and the National Clinical Nursing Director for the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence East at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Wa...